Google Maps Street View

Street View, the basics

What is Street View?

Street View takes Google Maps to a new level, allowing you to visually explore and navigate a neighbourhood through panoramic street-level photographs.

Street View imagery appears as the lowest zoom level in Google Maps. Where images are available on the map the pegman icon on the left hand side will be coloured orange. To access the images, you can drag the orange "Pegman" icon on the left-hand side of the map onto a street outlined in blue. You can move up and down streets, or look around in 360 degree panoramas.

What can I use Street View for?

Street View has a variety of practical uses. Using Street View you can easily find the exact location for your crucial meeting and the nearest coffee shop, plan a restaurant venue to meet friends for dinner, or find the best viewing spot for a marathon or parade.

If you are moving house or re-locating, you can save time by exploring properties and their surrounding area in advance and also by looking up driving directions. Street View allows you to check out a hotel or holiday home before you book, and to explore different travel destinations around the world.

Cool, how can I check it out?

Street View is available in the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy and Spain. You can see where here: http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/. To get a taste of what Street View looks like, visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Times Square in New York, or the Opera House in Sydney Harbour.